To: Board of Supervisors
From: Warren Lai, Public Works Director/Chief Engineer
Report Title: Contract Amendment for On-Call Environmental Consulting Services, Countywide.
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Public Works Director, or designee, to execute a contract amendment with Helix Environmental Planning, Inc. and Nichols Consulting Engineers, CHTD dba NCE, effective June 9, 2026, to increase the payment limit by $600,000 to a new payment limit of $1,300,000 and extend the term through September 18, 2028, for on-call environmental consulting services, Countywide.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Local Road and Flood Control Funds. (100% Various Funds)
BACKGROUND:
The County Public Works Department maintains and improves County-owned infrastructure in unincorporated areas of the County which include roads, bridges, flood control channels and basins, buildings, parks, and two airports. Public agency projects must comply with federal, state, and local environmental regulations including but not limited to the National Environmental Policy Act through federal agencies such as the Federal Highway Administration/California Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers when there is a nexus and the California Environmental Quality Act as well as regulatory agency permits, including but not limited to, Department of Fish and Wildlife, Regional Water Quality Control Board, and East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservation/Natural Community Conservation Plan.
The Environmental Services Division of the County Public Works Department ensures Public Works projects comply with applicable environmental regulations and as such requires support from qualified specialists to assess potential project impacts, document the findings and provide measures to avoid, minimize, and mitigate potential impacts as well as provide monitoring of construction sites when required by regulatory agencies. These on-call environmental consulting service contracts will provide those specialists for air quality, biological and cultural resources, hazardous materials/waste, hydrology/water quality, noise, and traffic.
In accordance with Government Code section 4526, the Environmental Services Division solicited Statements of Qualifications from environmental consulting firms. At its September 19, 2023 meeting, the board approved a contract with Helix Environmental Planning, Inc. and Nichols Consulting Engineers, CHTD dba NCE, in the amount not to exceed $700,000, for the period of September 19, 2023 through September 18, 2026.
This Amendment will increase the payment limit to $1,300,000, and extend the contracts term from September 18, 2026, to September 18, 2028, which is necessary to ensure the County has continued access to the consultant’s services.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Without approval from the Board of Supervisors, the Environmental Services Division will not be able to obtain environmental consulting services to comply with regulatory compliance for various Countywide projects.